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Production and analysis of capsules containing microorganisms consortiated for future application in petroleum bioremediation

Oil spills cause severe environmental and economic impacts, so the use of bioremediation techniques has been widely studied to solve this problem. Due to its complex composition, the oil prevents the full action of microorganisms, and in this way, the microbial consortium encapsulation technique is an innovation in the use of bacteria and biomass in the face of possible oil degradation, with the possibility of overcoming techniques such as bio-enhancement and biostimulation in the face of factors such as nutrient availability, oxygenation and temperature. Therefore, this work aims to produce capsules containing microbiological consortium and analyze its characteristics using the techniques TGA, DSC, FESEM, viable cell count, emulsification index and surface tension, in order to propose the best conditions to be applied. TGA and DSC results showed that the capsules have thermal stability in the range of 25-40 °C. Viable cell counts were more effective in capsules containing 1% (w/v) sodium alginate, and the emulsification index showed a large increase (80%) from day 5, as well as surface tension had a large drop (48%) in the same period. The increase in the emulsification index is caused by the increase in the production of biosurfactants (amphipathic molecules) by the bacteria consortium and this offers a greater contact between the microorganisms and the oil, providing best conditions for the degradation of oil. Therefore, all analyzes showed excellent results for future application in oil spills.